ISA Arborist Certification: EXAM PREP QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS UPDATED 2026

ISA Arborist Certification: EXAM
PREP QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS UPDATED 2026
CompactedMsoilMoftenMlacksMwhichMfactorMnecessaryMforMplantMsurvival?M-
MAnswerMSufficientMwater,Moxygen,MandMporeMspace



IfMaMtransplantedMtreeMdeclinesMorMdiesMwithinMtheMfirstMyear,MtheMcauseMisMmostMli
kelyMaMlackMorMexcessMofM_______M-MAnswerMWater



WhatMtypeMofMinjuryMoccursMwhenMtheMouterMwoodMandMbarkMofMaMtreeMcoolMrapid
ly,McausingMbothMtoMcontractMandMsplit?M-MAnswerMFrostMcracks



AMrootMthatMarisesMfromMaMstem,MratherMthanMfromManotherMroot,MisMcalledMa(n)M_
______.M-MAnswerMAdventitiousMroot



InManMareaMaroundMaMtreeMthatMisMfrequentlyMmowed,ManMarboristMremovedMtheMtur
fMgrassMandMreplacedMitMwithMmulch.MWhatMtypeMofMproblemMwasMsheMtryingMtoMpr
event?M-MAnswerMPhysicalMdamage



LeafMorMfruitMdropMisMalsoMcalledM_______.M-MAnswerMAbscission



WhatMtypeMofMplantMisMmoreMadaptedMtoMdryMareas?M-MAnswerMXerophyte



WhatMisMtheMpointMatMwhichMaMplantMcannotMpullManyMmoreMwaterMfromMtheMsoilM
andMsuffersMpermanentMdamage?M-MAnswerMPermanentMwiltingMpoint



WhichMofMtheMfollowingMisMaMphysicalMinjury?M-MAnswerMLightningMdamage



WhichMofMtheMfollowingMsituationsMisMproneMtoMgirdlingMroots?M-
MAnswerMTreesMplantedMtooMdeeply



TheMprocessMinMwhichMaMtreeMusesMoxygenMtoMconvertMcarbohydratesMintoMenergyMis
McalledM_______.M-MAnswerMAerobicMrespiration

,AMprolongedMwaterMshortageMlastingMfromMdaysMtoMmonthsMrefersMtoMwhatMisMcalled
M_______.M-MAnswerMChronicMwaterMdeficit



WhatMisMtheMmostMcommonMgrowthMfactorMthatMtreesMorMotherMplantsMcompeteMfor?
M-MAnswerMSunlight



AMplantMisMmoreMlikelyMtoMexperienceMfreezingMandMchillingMinjuryMifMitMhasMnotMha
dMtheMchanceMtoMbecomeM_______.M-MAnswerMHardenedMoff



AMcompoundMthatMisMpoisonousMtoMplantsMisMconsideredM_______.M-
MAnswerMPhytotoxic



AMtree'sMnaturalMprocessMofMdefenseMbyMwhichMchemicalMandMphysicalMboundariesMare
McreatedMtoMlimitMtheMspreadMofMdiseaseMandMdecayMorganismsMisMknownMasM______
_.M-MAnswerMCompartmentalization



WhatMisMtheMtransitionMzoneMfromMtrunkMtoMroots?M-MAnswerMTrunkMFlare



AMtreeMhasMaMlong,MspirallyMorientedMscarMdownMtheMlengthMofMitsMtrunkMthatMfollo
wsMtheMgrainMofMtheMwoodMwhereMtheMbarkMwasMrippedMaway.MWhatMwasMtheMlikel
yMcauseMofMthisMinjury?M-MAnswerMLightningMStrike



AMsubstanceMthatMmovesMthroughoutManMentireMplantMisMsaidMtoMbeM_______.M-
MAnswerMsystemic



TheMsignsMofMinsectMfeedingMdamageMareMdirectlyMrelatedMtoM________.M-
MAnswerMTheMtypeMofMmouthpartsMtheMinsectMhas



Aphids/adelgids,MsomeMscales,Mleafhoppers,MandMtrueMbugsMuseMwhatMmethodMofMfeedi
ng?M-MAnswerMPiercingMandMsucking



WhatMisMhoneydew?M-
MAnswerMaMstickyMsubstanceMsecretedMbyMcertainMinsectsMwhenMfeedingMuponMplants

,JapaneseMbeetlesMcreateMskeletonizedMleaves.MHowMareMJapaneseMbeetlesMclassified?M-
MAnswerMDefoliatingMinsects



ScaleMinsectsMareMsometimesMconfusedMwithMgalls.MWhatMisMaMquickMwayMtoMdistingui
shMbetweenMtheMtwo?M-MAnswerMScrapeMofMtheMbumpMandMobserveMtheMbarkMbelow



InsectsMthatMcarryMandMtransmitMdiseaseMareMknownMasM_______.M-MAnswerMVectors



FungicidesMareMusuallyMmostMeffectiveMwhenMusedMtoM_______.M-
MAnswerMPreventMtheMetablishmentMofMaMdisease



WhichMofMtheMfollowingMisMaMconclusiveMsignMofMborerMdamage?M-
MAnswerMSmallMholesMinMtheMtrunkMandMbranchesMwithMfrass



AnimalsMcanMcreateMriskMsituationsMforMarboristMworkMinMtrees.M-MAnswerMTrue



WhichMofMtheMfollowingMisMcharacteristicMofMaMvascularMdisease?M-
MAnswerMextremelyMdifficultMtoMeliminateMafterMinfectionMoccurs



WhatMisMaMcommonMleafMsymptomMofMfeedingMdamageMbyMpiercingMandMsuckingMinse
cts?M-MAnswerMChlorosis,Mstippling,Mdrooping



NematodesMmostMcommonlyMattackMwhatMpartMofMtheMtree?M-MAnswerMRootMsystem



WhichMofMtheMfollowingMtypesMofMscalesMproducesMhoneydew?M-MAnswerMSoftMScales



WhichMofMtheMfollowingMisMaMwayMbeaversMcanMcauseMtreeMdamage?M-
MAnswerMFeedingMonMaMtree'sMbark,MsubmergingMrootsMforMlongMperiodsMofMtimeMby
MdammingMwaterways,MfellingMtreesMforMdamMconstruction



SomeMdiseasesMrequireMmoreMthanMoneMhostMtoMcompleteMtheirMlifeMcycle.MTheseMho
stsMareMcalledM_______.M-MAnswerMAlternateMhost



WhichManimalMhasMaMfeedingMpatternMthatMlooksMjaggedMorMtorn?M-MAnswerMDeer

, WhatMcanMbecomeMseriousMifMaMsusceptibleMhost,MaMpathogenicMorganism,MaMsuitable
Menvironment,MandMtheMrightMtimingMareMpresent?M-MAnswerMDisease



IfMrodentsMareMaMproblemMduringMtheMwinter,MyouMshouldM_______.M-
MAnswerMPlaceMaMphysicalMbarrierMaroundMtheMaffectedMtree



AMsmall,MoftenMmicroscopic,MwormlikeMcreatureMisMcalledMa(n)M_______.M-
MAnswerMNematode



AnMimportantMpartMofMlimbMwalkingMthatMhelpsMmaintainMbalanceMwithoutMputtingMexc
essiveMweightMonMtheMtreeMisMtoM_______.M-
MAnswerMKeepMyourMweightMonMtheMrope



ClimbingMspursMshouldMbeMusedMonlyMwhenMworkingMonMtreesM_______.M-
MAnswerMtoMbeMremovedMwhereMnoMelectricalMhazardsMexists



AMPrusikMloopMisMusedMinMclimbingM_______.M-
MAnswerMtoMtieMinMforMtheMsecuredMfootlockMtechnique



WhenMusingMaMchainMsawMinMaMtree,MaMclimberMmustM_______.M-
MAnswerMbeMsecuredMwithM2MseparateMlinesMsuchMasMaMwork-
positioningMlanyardMandMaMclimbingMline,M2MclimbingMlines,MorM2Mlanyards



AccordingMtoMtheMANSIMZ133MsafetyMstandards,MclimbingMlinesMmustM_________.M-
MAnswerMhaveMaMminimumMtensileMstrengthMofMatMleastM24.04MkN



TheMtechniqueMinMwhichMaMclimberMascendsMaMtreeMbyMplacingMhisMorMherMfeetMhig
hMonMtheMtrunkMandMthrustsMtheMhipsMupwardMwhileMpullingMtheMslackMoutMofMthe
MclimbingMlineMandMadvancingMtheMfrictionMhitchMisMcalledM_______M-
MAnswerMBodyMthrusting



KnotsMthatMtieMtwoMropesMtogetherMareMknownMas_______.M-MAnswerMBends